Scots filmmaker ready to take on Donald Trump for a second time

AFTER taking on the billionaire tycoon for his documentary You’ve Been Trumped, Anthony Baxter is back with a new movie about the impact of super-rich golf courses around the world.

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Anthony Baxter's new documentary is about the money pouring into big courses like Trump's in Aberdeen

DURING the making of his first film, he was arrested, chased by security guards and insulted by one of the world’s richest men.

But after taking on the might of Donald Trump for his documentary You’ve Been Trumped, Anthony Baxter is back for more with a new movie all about the impact of super-rich golf courses around the world.

The Montrose film-maker has followed up his hit debut – about the conflict between Aberdeenshire locals and the New York billionaire over construction of a new golf course – with new release A Dangerous Game, which investigates global golfing controversies.

For his new film, Anthony was invited to interview Trump himself to discuss the bitter battle with locals, such as protesting farmer Michael Forbes, the face of the opposition to the project.

During the making of the first film, Anthony was arrested by police and Trump later took to Twitter to lambast the 44-year-old. But after You’ve Been Trumped became an international success and was seen by more than a million people on BBC2 last year, the US Apprentice tycoon finally agreed to meet the Scot and took part in the new film, which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival last week.

The film-maker said: “When they heard I was going to make a second film, they invited me to come and speak to them. I first spoke to Donald Trump Jr and then had an interview with Donald Trump himself.

“I went to Trump Tower and it was quite a strange experience, as you’ll see in the film. It was good in the sense we were able to put questions to him that were still remaining from the first film but new questions also emerged in the making of the second film. It was an extraordinary encounter and an important one in terms of being able to put to him directly the issues the residents have endured for so long. He was very charming to begin with but then the atmosphere changed as the interview really began and I was asking him questions about the treatment of the local residents.

“He completely defends his behaviour and thinks it’s totally acceptable to build big mounds of earth in front of people’s houses and shield them from view. He also thinks there is nothing untoward about the way they have treated Michael Forbes.”

When Trump announced he was to create a £750million course, it was welcomed by politicians and golfers but environmentalists and locals opposed the massive redevelopment of the sand dune area around their homes.

Anthony said: “When the Trump Organisation came to Scotland and said they were building a luxury golf course, with 6000 jobs, 1500 houses, a luxury hotel and two high-end golf courses, there was a lot of support locally. But when people saw the way local residents had been treated, they were absolutely appalled by it and Trump woke up to that belatedly.

“We now know, of course, that fewer than 200 jobs have been created and Trump has essentially pulled the plug on any further development – he has opened one golf course, the second has been scrapped and none of the things that were supposed to bring the jobs have happened.”

Fisherman and farmer Michael Forbes, who refused to sell land to Trump, featured heavily in Anthony’s first film.

Michael was later voted Top Scot at the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards 2012 and he was also one of the reasons the second movie was made.

Anthony spent months touring the first film around the world, appearing on major US television shows like CBS News and The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and met campaigners approaching him with other stories of golf course crises in different countries. Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, who has opposed a course planned in the Hamptons area of New York because of fears of environmental damage, was among them.

In the new film, Anthony speaks to locals in Balmedie still protesting about the effect the course has had on their lives, with giant walls of displaced earth up to 4m high surrounding the estate. Resident Susan Munro described the effect as being like living in “a prison”.

A Trump Golf Scotland spokesman said: “We have not seen the film. However, we absolutely refute the claims we are harassing our neighbours. We enjoy a very good relationship with people living around our property, which is now a thriving golf resort bringing tremendous benefits to the area.”

As well as following up the Scots’ stories, the film goes around the world to look at how the issue of local opposition to exclusive golf developments affects communities in Croatia, Dubai, Las Vegas, New Jersey and New York State.

Anthony revealed: “I was showing the film at festivals all over the world and people kept telling me the same thing was happening on their doorstep.

“There are Donald Trumps everywhere and they could be building a golf course exclusively for very wealthy people on your doorstep very soon.”

While the film looks in depth at the issues of environment, sustainability and elitism surrounding the sport in general, Anthony said it isn’t anti-golf. He claims the spirit of the game is about being open to all but now it’s been “hijacked by very, very wealthy people”.